Molded steering wheel



Sept. 29, H D. GEYER 1,825,392

MOLDED STEERING WHEEL Filed April 3o, 192e Patented Sept. 29, 1.931

UNITED STATES PATENT oFlFIcE HARVEY D. GEYER, F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE INLAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE MOLDED STEERING WHEEL Application led April 30, 1928. SerialNo. 274,048.

This invention relates to handwheels, especially to the manufacture ofsuch wheels as are adapted .for use as steering wheels on' automotivevehicles.

.5. An object of this invention is to provide an etlicient, wellappearing, and very economi-V cally made form 0f handwheel having anonmetallic covering molded upon a metal skeleton.

A more specific object is to provide such a steering wheel having anenlarged central metal cup thereupon for mounting various controlstherein, said central cup being en cased in molded material whereby toobviate theynecessity of polishing or otherwise finishingI the surfaceof said metal cup.

A feature of the invention is the detailed construction thereof wherebythe cost of Inanufacture is reduced.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a pre ferred form of embodiment of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, of an automobilesteering wheel built according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vert-ical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

' Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a hub casting, preferably ofmalleable iron, having a sleeve portion 11 adapted to be keyed upon thetapered end of a shaft (not shown) and having an upwardly and outwardlyfiaring` central cup portion 12 integral therewith within which variouscontrols such as spark, throttle, ignition, or vehicle light controlsmay be mounted. Cup portion 12 has integral therewith four spoke sockets13 radiating from the periphery thereof, as clearly illustrated. Fourround tubular steel spokes 15, preferably about 16 gauge welded seamsteel tubes. have their inner ends rigidly xed 50 within sockets 13,preferably by a pressed it 22-and thus firmly tying the interior and ex--mold and the rubber casing vulcanized in place to form a hard wellappearing non-metallic casing 20 enveloping the steel rim'and spokes.Preferably this hard rubber casing also encases the cut portion 12 andsleeve portion 11 of the hub casting. In order to give a firm andpermanent anchor of the relatively thin rubber easing 21 on the cupportion 12, this cup portion is provided with a plurality of spacedholes 22 and the rubber covering is molded upon both the'interior andexterior of the metal cup 12, the rubber flowing during vulcanizationthrough the spaced holes terior casings together.

Another advantage of the interior rubber casing is that it forins anon-corrodible electric insulating interior coating for cup l2 and henceserves as electric insulation for electric switches which are to bemounted therein. It is obvious from the drawings that the wheel showntherein has no exposed metal surfaces which will require polishing orfinishing and hencethe cost of manufacture is greatly reduced.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes` a preferred form. it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a steering wheel, a metal hub having a sleeve portion adapted tofit a shaft and an upwardly and outwardly flaring central cup portion,said cup portion having radiating sockets formed on the peripherythereof. a plurality of tubular metal spokes rigidly fixed in saidsockets, a tubular metal rim rigidly fixed to the spoke ends, and a hard10 rubber casing vulcanized upon said rim, spokes, and central cupportion of said hub.

2. In a steering wheel, a metal hub having a sleeve portion adapted tofit a shaft and an upwardly and outwardly flaring central cup portion,said cup portion having relatively short sockets radiating from theupper periphery thereof, a plurality of tubular metal spokes rigidlyixed in said sockets at their inner ends, a tubular meta-l rim rigidlyfixed to the outer ends of said spokes by welding the open ends ofV saidspokes to said tubular rim, and a hard rubber casing vulcanized uponsaid rim, spokes, and central cup portion of said hub.

3. In a steering wheel, a metal hub having an outwardly flaring metalcup portion and radiating sockets formed on the periphery of said cupportion, their inner ends fixed within said sockets, and having openouter ends, a tubular steel riln ixed to the outer open ends of saidtubular spokes by being Welded thereto', and a Composition casing moldedupon and coveringsaid rim, spokes, and centralv cup portion of said hub.

4. In a steering wheel, a metal hub having a sleeve portion adapted tofit a shaft and an upwardly and outwardly flaring central cup portion,said cup portion having radiating sockets formed on the peripherythereof, metal spokes having their inner ends rigidly fixed within saidsockets, a metal rim rigidly fixed to the spokel outer ends, and arubberV composition casing molded upon and covering said rim, spokes,and both the interior and lelxtberior of said central cup portion ofsaid 5. A steering wheel comprising: a metal hub having a sleeve portionadapted to be fixed to a shaft and an upper central cup portionthereabove, metal spokes having their inner endsxed to the periphery ofsaid cup portion, a metal annulus fixed to the outer ends of saidspokes, and a, moldable composition casing molded upon and encasing saidrim, spokes, and both the interior and exterior of said central cupportion of said hub.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

HARVEY D. GEYER.

tubular steel spokes having

